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Religion in Alabama
The United States had rich and diverse religious cultures, and the freedom to practice beliefs has helped give rise to a highly unique religious pluralism and freedom. Alabama is located in the middle of the Bible Belt, a region of numerous Protestant Christians.
Alabama has been identified as one of the most religious states in the United States, with about 58% of the population attending church regularly.
also read about Race and Ethnicity in Alabama
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Alabama Religion Percentage
Christianity is the main religion followed by 86% of the population. The largest Christian denomination in Alabama is Protestants (78%) followed by Roman Catholics (7%), Mormonism (1%), and Other Christians.
Of the Protestants in the state, Evangelical Protestants compose 49% of the population, Mainline Protestants 13%, and Historically Black Protestants 16%.
12% of the population don’t follow or adhere to any faith or religion and the rest 1% follow other non-Christian-based religions.
Other Religions include Hinduism, Buddhism, Jews, Islam, and other smaller faiths.
| Religion/Affiliations | Percentage |
| Christianity | 86% |
| – Protestantism | – 78% |
| – Roman Catholicism | – 7% |
| – Mormonism | – 1% |
| – Eastern Orthodoxy | – <1% |
| – Jehovah’s Witnesses | – <1% |
| – Other Christian | – 1% |
| Other Religion | 1% |
| Judaism | <1% |
| Islam | <1% |
| Buddhism | <1% |
| Hinduism | <1% |
| Other religion | <1% |
| No religion | 12% |
| Don’t know | 1% |
Source: Pew Research Center
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Christianity in Alabama
Christianity with 86% followers is the largest religion in Alabama. All Protestant denominations accounted for 78% of the population and Catholics are 7% of the population. A majority of people in the state identify as Evangelical Protestant.
Rest include Mormons, Eastern Orthodoxy, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other smaller denominations.
| Christianity Affiliations | Percentage |
| Protestantism | 78% |
| – Evangelical Protestant | – 49% |
| – Mainline Protestant | – 13% |
| – Black church | – 16% |
| Roman Catholicism | 7% |
| Mormonism | 1% |
| Eastern Orthodoxy | <1% |
| Jehovah’s Witnesses | <1% |
| Other Christians | <1% |
Source: Pew Research
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Protestantism in Alabama
Among Christians in Alabama, Protestantism is the largest group comprising about 78% of the state’s population. Protestantism in the United States has branched out into several branches, denominations, and various interdenominational and related movements.
Protestants by tradition can be further classified into three main denominations. Evangelical is the largest and followed by 49% of the population, Next are Historically Black Protestants (16%) and Mainline Protestants (13%).
| Protestants Affiliation | % of population |
| Evangelical Protestant | 49% |
| Mainline Protestant | 13% |
| Black church | 16% |
Protestantism is also comprised of numerous denominational families (e.g., Baptist, Methodist, and Pentecostal) that fit into one or more of the traditions. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), as of 2020 the three largest Protestants denominational groups in Alabama are the Southern Baptist Convention, The United Methodist Church, and the Churches of Christ.
The list of the top 10 Protestant churches in Alabama is as follows
| # | Religious Bodies | Tradition | Family | Adherents |
| 1 | Southern Baptist Convention | Evangelical | Baptist | 1,255,396 |
| 2 | Non-denominational Christian Churches | Evangelical | Other Groups | 514,980 |
| 3 | United Methodist Church | Mainline | Methodist | 250,679 |
| 4 | Churches of Christ | Evangelical | Restorationists | 105,147 |
| 5 | National Missionary Baptist Convention of America | Black Protestants | Baptist | 101,998 |
| 6 | Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) | Evangelical | Pentecostal | 61,231 |
| 7 | Assemblies of God, General Council of the | Evangelical | Pentecostal | 47,789 |
| 8 | National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. | Black Protestants | Baptist | 121,168 |
| 9 | African Methodist Episcopal Church | Black Protestants | Methodist | 45,834 |
| 10 | African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church | Black Protestants | Methodist | 26,808 |
read about Protestantism in the United States
source: https://www.thearda.com/
Catholics in Alabama
Catholic Church at 7% of the state population is the second largest religious grouping, after Protestantism. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), In 2020 the Catholic Church has 249,650 adherents. The main Catholica Churches in Alabama are The Diocese of Birmingham and The Archdiocese of Mobile.
The Archdiocese of Mobile is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church comprising the southern 28 counties of Alabama. It is the metropolitan seat of the Province of Mobile, which includes the suffragan bishopric sees of the Diocese of Biloxi, the Diocese of Jackson, and the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama. As of 2013, it was approximately 3.8% of Roman Catholics.
The Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church that encompasses the northern 39 counties of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of 2012, it was approximately 3% of Roman Catholics.
Other Religions in Alabama include Hinduism, Buddhism, Jews, Islam, and other smaller faiths.
Jews have been present in what is now Alabama since 1763. The oldest Jewish congregation in the state is Congregation Sha’arai Shomayim in Mobile. Later immigrants are Ashkenazi Jews from eastern Europe. Jewish denominations in the state include two Orthodox, four Conservative, ten Reform, and one Humanistic synagogue.
Several Hindu temples and cultural centers in the state have been founded by Indian immigrants and their descendants, the best-known being the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Birmingham, the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Birmingham in Pelham, the Hindu Cultural Center of North Alabama in Capshaw, and the Hindu Mandir and Cultural Center in Tuscaloosa.
There are six Dharma centers and organizations for Theravada Buddhists. Most Buddhist are refugees from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. The four temples within a ten-mile radius of Bayou La Batre, include Chua Chanh Giac, Wat Buddharaksa, and Wat Lao Phoutthavihan.
Muslims have been increasing in Alabama, with 31 mosques built by 2011, many by African-American converts.
The first community of adherents of the Baháʼí Faith in Alabama was founded in 1896 by Paul K. Dealy, who moved from Chicago to Fairhope. Baháʼí centers in Alabama exist in Birmingham, Huntsville, and Florence.
also read about Population in Alabama
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